1 2 ELI/TNC Watershed Approach Handbook: Improving Outcomes and Increasing Benefits Associated with Wetland and Stream Restoration and Protection Projects Webcast sponsored by EPA’s Watershed Academy Wednesday,March18,2015 1:00pm– 3:00pmEastern Instructors: • Dr. Rebecca Kihslinger, Wetlands Program Director, Environmental Law Institute, San Francisco • Palmer Hough, Environmental Scientist, Wetlands Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency • Mark P. Smith, Deputy Director, North America Water Program, The Nature Conservancy, Boston, MA • Nicholas Miller, Scien Madison, WI ce Director, The Nature Conservancy, Webcast Logistics To Ask a Question – Type your question in the “Questions” tool box on the right side of your screen and click “Send.” To report any technical issues (such as audio problems) – Type your issue in the “Questions” tool box on the right side of your screen and click “Send” and we will respond by posting an answer in the “Questions” box.
Transcript
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ELI/TNC Watershed Approach Handbook:Improving Outcomes and Increasing Benefits
Associated with Wetland and Stream Restoration and Protection Projects
Webcast sponsored by EPA’s Watershed Academy
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
1:00pm – 3:00pm Eastern
Instructors:• Dr. Rebecca Kihslinger, Wetlands Program Director,
Environmental Law Institute, San Francisco • Palmer Hough, Environmental Scientist, Wetlands Division, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency • Mark P. Smith, Deputy Director, North America Water Program,
The Nature Conservancy, Boston, MA• Nicholas Miller, Scien
Madison, WIce Director, The Nature Conservancy,
Webcast Logistics
To Ask a Question – Type your question in the “Questions” tool box on the right side of your screen and click “Send.”
To report any technical issues (such as audio problems) – Type your issue in the “Questions” tool box on the right side of your screen and click “Send” and we will respond by posting an answer in the “Questions” box.
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Overview of Today’s Webcast
Overview of the ELI/TNC Watershed Approach Handbook
Framework for how to carry out the watershed approach
Case study from Wisconsin
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Watershed Approach Handbook:
Improving Outcomes and Increasing Benefits Associated with Wetland and Stream Restoration and Protection Projects 4
Wetland Mitigation Banking: Pascagoula River System, Mississippi
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7,800 acres protected by TNC
12,000 acres of additional restoration work
63,000 linear feet of stream restored, enhanced or preserved
Over $27 million generated for acquisition, restoration and management of 5 projects; over $4 million for long-term stewardship.
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Southern Watershed Area Management Plan
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Southern Watershed Management Program
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Southern Watershed Management Program
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Southern Watershed Area Management Plan
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SWAMP Results
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Why Use a Watershed Approach?
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Improving environmental return on investment
– Water Quality
– Habitat Improvement
– Flood Attenuation
– Recreation
Improving the economic return on investment
– North Carolina EEP – no delays on $14 B in transportation projects
– Michigan – estimated cost/acre dropped from $75 -150k to $25-30K
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Mitigation Investments
Regulatory Program or Cost Estimate (in Authority millions)Clean Water Act § 404 $2,947.3Endangered Species Act $370.3§ 10 Federal Natural Resource Damage Programs $87.7Federal Power Act $210.3Northwest Power Act $207.1Total: $3,822.7
Questioned preference for on-site and in-kindSite selection should be based on an analytical assessment of wetland needs in the watershedProjects should maximize the likelihood that they will make an ongoing ecological contribution to the watershed
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The Watershed Approach: 2008 Compensatory Mitigation Rule
If an appropriate watershed plan exists, use it
If not, take a watershed approach
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Pilot Watershed Approach Projects
Corps/EPAPilot
TNC/ELIPilot
MN
CO MDCA
WI
TN
GA
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Watershed Approach Handbook
Prepared by the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) with funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under EPA Wetlands Program Development Grant No. WD-83501201 28
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The Watershed Approach Handbook
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Developed with a broad group of national experts from government, academia, and non-governmental organizations
Describes a range of approaches, tools, and techniques for applying a watershed approach
